Richard Hew, President and Chief Executive Officer of Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC) was the guest speaker at ICCI on October 25. 2018.  The Utilities boss spoke before a diverse audience of new and returning students pursuing Associates, Bachelors, and Master’s degrees, as well as faculty and staff. The on-campus presentation was a part of the College’s mission to provide students with multiple opportunities to engage with industry leaders in the Cayman Islands. Instructors are encouraged to organize presentations each quarter with speakers who may help to enhance classroom content.

Mr. Hew, a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Florida, shared on the 5 strategic objectives of CUC: these included (1) Safety, (2) Human capital, (3) Reliability 2.0, (4) Famous for service, and (5) New Business and Technology. Through these objectives, he was able share some of the inner workings of the utilities company including plans to expand the use of renewable energy, to add an 8th sub-station on West Bay road, as well as some tips for homeowners to better manage energy costs by managing behavior.

The 30 year utilities sector veteran also shared moments from his childhood, growing up in the Cayman Islands. With no plans for college and a simple life goal of fishing, and taking over the family business, the island boy was redirected by his father and a close family friend to expand his sights.

Mr. Hew graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida in 1988 and in 1997 he obtained his Master of Business Administration at Wilfred Laurier University, Ontario, Canada.